How consumers are paying utility bills: 5 trends to watch

This is less about energy upgrades and more about how people pay their utility bills. New research on utility customers finds that most now pay through their utility's own website or app rather than through a bank's bill pay service, the mail, or in person. Digital wallets like Apple Pay and PayPal are also catching on for bill payments, used by 42% of customers, up from 37% a few years ago. Still, many people don't realize their utility even offers wallet payment as an option, since only about a quarter of customers know it's available.

Credit cards remain a steady way to pay utility bills too, often because of rewards or cashback, and there's growing interest in more flexible payment plans, including installment options and "buy now, pay later" style billing, especially as household budgets feel tighter.

None of this changes what you pay for electricity or gas, or affects rebates for things like a heat pump or insulation. It's simply about the convenience options utilities offer for settling your bill. If your utility rolls out a digital wallet option or a flexible payment plan, it may be worth checking your account settings or app to see what's available, since the research suggests many of these features go unused simply because customers don't know they exist.